Buckle for safety belts



Oct. 13, 1964 A. G. CARTER ETAL 3,152,377

BUCKLE FOR SAFETY BELTS Filed Jan. 23, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS: ANDREW 6. CARTER HERMAN G. ALOFS Oct. 13, 1964 Filed Jan. 23, 1961 A. e. CARTER ETAL 3,152,377

BUCKLE FOR SAFETY BELTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ANDREW HERMAN G. ALOFS JEL- 2... INVENTORS 6'. CARTER United States Patent 3,152,377 BUCIQE FOR SAFETY BELTS Andrew G. Carter, Grand Rapids, Mich, and Herman G.

Alofs, 1512 Yorkshire SE, Grand Rapids, Mich; said Carter assignor to Carter Engineering Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a partnership Filed Jan. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 84,299 (Iiaims. (Cl. 24230) This invention relates to the mechanism of safety belt buckles of the type which maintain a locking action independently of the belt fabric. This arrangement provides many advantages, such as the relative freedom from a tendency to wear the belt material, and freedom from interference with locking action resulting from belt variation. This invention is also associated with the type of buckle mechanism in which the belt tension is not transferred through the movable components of the mechanism. These forces are resisted by the interengagement of members in a direction transverse to the line of force transmission, and a releasable cam functions only to maintain these members in engagement. Examples of these types of buckle mechanism are shown in the Patents 2,904,866 and 2,965,942, and in the co-pending application Serial No. 10,194, filed on February 23, 1960.

In most forms of buckle mechanism, a tongue of solid construction is connected to one side of the belt, and is embraced and held by the opposite buckle section which contains all the mechanism. The present invention provides the moving components in the tongue section of the buckle, reducing the possibihty that ice, dirt, etc. will interfere with engagement and release. The opening provided by other forms of mechanism to receive a fixed tongue is an inviting area to entrap materials which prevent proper action of the moving parts.

To adapt the present invention to fixed floor-mounted terminals, the mechanism section of the buckle is provided with an articulating connection to the belt, so that the belt is always looped over a surface which is perpendicular to the line of belt tension, regardless of considerable variation in this direction. The several features of the invention will be analyzed in further detail through a discussion of the particular embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 presents a perspective view of two buckle sections incorporating this invention, the sections being disengaged.

FIGURE 2 presents a plan view, partially in section, illustrating the two buckle sections fully engaged.

FIGURE 3 presents a fragmentary sectional elevation illustrating an intermediate position in the engagement of the buckle sections.

FIGURE 4 presents a fragmentary elevation showing a further intermediate position in the engagement of the buckle sections.

FIGURE 5 presents a fragmentary sectional elevation of the entire engaged buckle mechanism and belt terminal.

FIGURE 6 presents an exploded view of the components of the tongue section of the buckle, containing the active mechanism.

FIGURE 7 presents a fragmentary plan view, partially in section, of a portion of the buckle mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, the buckle mechanism may be considered to include two separable sections respectively identified at 10 and 11. In the particular modification illustrated in the drawings, the section 10 is a terminal normally mounted to the floor panel of an automobile at the side of and slightly behind the seat. The buckle section 10 is preferably constructed from a flat piece of steel formed to provide a mounting base 12 having a hole 13 for receiving a fastening engaging the floor of the vehicle. The plate portion 14 is bent to an angular ice relationship with the base 12 such that the attitude of the plate 14 is roughly parallel to the line of tension of the belt. A pair of offset abutments 15 and 16 having a form best shown in FIGURE 3 are provided on the plate 14 for engagement with the apertures 17 and 18 in the plate 19, which forms the holding portion of the mechanism contained in the buckle section 11. It should be noted that the abutments 15 and 16 extend in a general direction transverse to the line of tension from the belt 20 to the terminal 10, and that belt forces will be transferred as long as the abutments 15 and 16 remain in engagement with the apertures 17 and 18.

In the preferred form of the invention, a pair of arms 21 and 22 are formed of the material of the plate 14, and are brought around to form an enclosure (together with the plate 14) embracing the tongue section 11. The essential function of the arms 21 and 22 is to form a guideway establishing a particular path of engaging movement with which the tongue enters into full connection with the terminal 16. The inside distance from the arms 21 and 22 to the plate 14 is established so that the total height of the tongue section 11 is just fully accommodated when the apertures 17 and 18 are in full engagement with abutments 15 and 16.

In the position of the tongue mechanism illustrated in FIGURE 3, the tongue mechanism will not be received within the arms 21 and 22. In order to accomplish this engagement, the slide member 23 is slidably mounted on the plate 19 to permit it to move to the position shown in FIGURE 4. With the slide member withdrawn to the right as shown in FIGURE 4, the plate 19 can be moved into the area underneath the arms 21 and 22 far enough to permit the apertures 17 and 18 to engage the abutments 15 and 16. The slide member 23 is then free to move to the left under the arms 21 and 22; and when that position has been reached (as in FIGURE 5) the presence of the slide member 23 prevents the plate 19 from becoming disengaged from the abutments 15 and 16.

The slide member 23 and its associated mechanism is best shown in FIGURES 5 and 6. In the illustrated modification, this member is a formed plate of relatively thin sheet steel having a peripheral flange 24 extending around three sides to establish an overall height which, when added to the thickness of the plate 19, will be slightly less than the inside distance from the arms 21 and 22 to the plate 14 of the terminal 10. The plate 19 is provided with a central opening 25, the sides of which position the handle extension 26 of the slide member 23. A slot 27 receives the rivet 28 which enters the hole 29 in the plate 19, and the combined effect of the rivet and the engagement of the handle 26 with the opening 25 establishes a predetermined range of sliding movement of the slide 23 with respect to the plate 19. The spring 30 is provided with the formed ends 31 and 32 for engagement with the rivet 28, the central portion 33 being received under the tabs 34 and 35 of the slide member 23.

As a result of the fixed mounted position of the terminal plate 10, it often becomes necessary for the belt 20 to engage the mechanism section 11 in some degree of misalignment such that the line of tension is not parallel to the center plane through the mechanism. To accommodate this possibility of misalignment, the side 36 of the opening 25 is formed in an arcuate curvature, and the shoe 37 is provided with a similarly-formed edge 38. Preferably, the shoe 37 is made from the piece blanked out to form the opening 25. The same cutting operation which forms the surface 36 will therefore form the edge 38, and the piece 37 will be cut somewhat narrower than the distance between the opposite parallel sides of the opening 25. This arrangement permits the shoe 37 to slide along the surface 36, and to change its angular position as such movement proceeds. The shoe 37 is held in engagement with the edge 36 through the U-shaped clasp 39, which is fitted over the shoe 37 with the sides 40 and 41 extending beyond the shoe 37 and overlapping portions of the plate 19. If it becomes desirable to do so, the distance between the normal position of the handle 26 (shown in FIGURE 5) can be selected to provide insuflicient freedom for the assembly including the belt 20, the clasp 39 and the shoe 37 to move to the left sufficiently to disengage the arms 40 and 41 from the plate 19. With this arrangement, the back of the clasp 39 will form a rounded surface for receiving the belt which can maintain a position directly perpendicular to the line of belt tension, thus minimizing any tendency to localize belt stresses at one edge to cause a tearing action.

The illustrated modification of this invention may be considered as the preferred form, particularly with regard to simplicity of construction and freedom from variations due to wear and other relatively unpredictable conditions. As an alternative to the illustrated arrangement in which the projections 15 and 16 are formed on the fixed terminal 10, this can be reversed by providing these projections on the plate 19, with the apertures 17 and 18 being included on the plate 14. The significant aspect of the device is in the interengageable abutments and apertures, rather than the particular member on which they are mounted. However, it appears to be more practical to keep the abutments on the member which is least likely to be knocked about sufiiciently to alter the shape of the locking surfaces.

In the engagement of the tongue portion 11 with the fixed terminal 10, there is a natural tendency for the user of the buckle to grasp the entire tongue section 11 and shove it into locked position. The difficulty with this is simply that in so doing the users hand tends to block the relative sliding movement of the slide member 23 with respect to the plate 19, and thereby interfere with engagement. vided with the lateral projections 42 and 43. The user of the buckle is taught to apply the forces for engaging the buckle exclusively to these side projections, which permits the pressure from the edges 44 and 45 of the arms 21 and 22 to induce the movement of the slide member 23 to the position shown in FIGURE 4. The plate 19 is therefore shoved into position by forces applied at the projections 42 and 43, with the slide member 23 snapping into the position shown in FIGURE 5 after the apertures 17 and 18 have been completely engaged with the projections 15 and 16.

The particular embodiments of the present invention which have been illustrated and discussed herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be considered as a limitation upon the scope of the appended claims. In these claims, it is our intent to claim the entire invention disclosed herein, except as we are limited by the prior art.

We claim:

1. A safety belt buckle, comprising: a first buckle section, said first section having means forming a guideway; and a second buckle section, said second section having a holding plate provided with a central opening, said first section and said holding plate having means interengageable in a direction transverse to said guideway for transmission of belt forces, said second section also having a locking member slidably mounted on said holding plate, said locking member being receivable in said guideway together with said holding plate only with said interengageable means engaged, and said locking member being slidable to a release position sufficiently withdrawn from said guideway to establish freedom of movement of said holding plate transverse to said guideway to disengage said interengageable means, said locking member being concave toward said holding plate, said locking member having a handle slidably received within said opening, and also having a slot, said locking member also having a peripheral flange provided with tab means, rivet means To simplify the engagement, the plate 19 is pro-.

fixed with respect to said holding plate and engaging said slot, and biasing means urging said locking member with respect to said holding plate in a direction opposite from said release position into locking position, said biasing means including spring means disposed between said locking member and holding plate and acting between said rivet means and said peripheral flange, and secured by said tab means.

2. A safety belt buckle, comprising: a first buckle section, said first section having means forming a guideway; and a second buckle section, said second section having a holding plate provided with a central opening, said first section and said holding plate having means interengageable in a direction transverse to said guideway for transmission of belt forces, said second section also having a locking member slidably mounted on said holding plate,

said locking member being receivable in said guideway together with said holding plate only with said interengageable means engaged, and said locking member being slidable to a release position sufliciently withdrawn from said guideway to establish freedom of movement of said holding plate transverse to said guideway to disengage said interengageable means, said locking member being concave toward said holding plate, said locking member also having a peripheral flange provided with tab means, rivet means fixed with respect to said holding plate, and biasing means urging said locking member with respect to said holding plate in a direction opposite from said release position into locking position, said biasing means including spring means disposed between said locking member and said holding plate and acting between said rivet means and said peripheral flange, and secured by said tab means.

3. A safety belt buckle, comprising: a first buckle section, said first section having means forming a guideway; and a second buckle section, said second section having a holding plate provided with a central opening, said first section and said holding plate having means interengageable in a direction transverse to said guideway for transmission of belt forces, said second section also having a locking member slidably mounted on said holding plate, said locking member being receivable in said guideway together with said holding plate only with said interengageable means engaged, and said locking member being slidable to a release position sufficiently withdrawn from said guideway to establish freedom of movement of said holding plate transverse to said guideway to disengage said interengageable means, said locking member having a handle slidably received within said opening and also having a slot, rivet means fixed with respect to said holding portion and engaging said slot, and biasing means urging said locking portion with respect to said holding portion in a direction opposite from said release position into locking position.

4. A safety belt buckle, comprising: a first buckle section, said first section having means forming a guideway; and a second buckle section, said second section having a substantially flat holding plate provided with laterallyextending handle projections, said first section and said holding plate having means interengageable in a direction transverse to said guideway for transmission of belt forces,

said second section also having a locking member slidably mounted on said holding plate, said locking member being receivable in said guideway together with said holding plate only with said interengageable means engaged, and said locking member being slidable to a release position sufiiciently withdrawn from said guideway to establish freedom of movement of said holding plate transverse to said guideway to disengage said interengageable means, said locking member being concave toward said holding plate and defining a housing therewith; and biasing means received in said housing urging said locking member with respect to said holding plate in a direction opposite from said release position into locking position,

said biasing means being disposed between said locking member and said holding plate.

5. A safety belt buckle, comprising: a first buckle section, said first section having means forming a guidewa and a second buckle section, said second section having a substantially fiat holding plate, said first section and said holding plate having means interengageable in a direction transverse to said guideway for transmission of belt forces, said second section also having a locking member movably mounted with respect to said holding plate, said locking member being receivable in said guide- Way together with said holding plate only With said interengageable means engaged, and said locking member being slidable to a release position sufficiently Withdrawn from said guideway to establish freedom of movement of said holding plate transverse to said guideway to disengage said interengageable means, said locking member being concave toward said holding plate and defining a housing therewith; and biasing means received in said housing urging said locking member with respect to said holding plate in a direction opposite from said release position into locking position, said biasing means being disposed between said locking member and said holding plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS 1,128,334 Kuelln Feb. 16, 1915 1,687,370 Lavigne Oct. 9, 1928 2,556,117 Smith lune 5, 1951 2,710,649 Griswold June 14, 1955 2,853,759 Eisner Sept. 30, 1958 2,863,200 Miller Dec. 9, 1958 3,035,573 Morton May 22, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 711,940 France July 8, 1931 1,065,220 France May 21, 1954 434,335 Great Britain Aug. 29, 1935 

1. A SAFETY BELT BUCKLE, COMPRISING: A FIRST BUCKLE SECTION, SAID FIRST SECTION HAVING MEANS FORMING A GUIDEWAY; AND A SECOND BUCKLE SECTION, SAID SECOND SECTION HAVING A HOLDING PLATE PROVIDED WITH A CENTRAL OPENING, SAID FIRST SECTION AND SAID HOLDING PLATE HAVING MEANS INTERENGAGEABLE IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO SAID GUIDEWAY FOR TRANSMISSION OF BELT FORCES, SAID SECOND SECTION ALSO HAVING A LOCKING MEMBER SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID HOLDING PLATE, SAID LOCKING MEMBER BEING RECEIVABLE IN SAID GUIDEWAY TOGETHER WITH SAID HOLDING PLATE ONLY WITH SAID INTERENGAGEABLE MEANS ENGAGED, AND SAID LOCKING MEMBER BEING SLIDABLE TO A RELEASE POSITION SUFFICIENTLY WITHDRAWN FROM SAID GUIDEWAY TO ESTABLISH FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT OF SAID HOLDING PLATE TRANSVERSE TO SAID GUIDEWAY TO DISENGAGE SAID INTERENGAGEABLE MEANS, SAID LOCKING MEMBER BEING CONCAVE TOWARD SAID HOLDING PLATE, SAID LOCKING MEMBER HAVING A HANDLE SLIDABLY RECEIVED WITHIN SAID OPENING, AND ALSO HAVING A SLOT, SAID LOCKING MEMBER ALSO HAVING A PERIPHERAL FLANGE PROVIDED WITH TAB MEANS, RIVET MEANS FIXED WITH RESPECT TO SAID HOLDING PLATE AND ENGAGING SAID SLOT, AND BIASING MEANS URGING SAID LOCKING MEMBER WITH RESPECT TO SAID HOLDING PLATE IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE FROM SAID RELEASE POSITION INTO LOCKING POSITION, SAID BIASING MEANS INCLUDING SPRING MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID LOCKING MEMBER AND HOLDING PLATE AND ACTING BETWEEN SAID RIVET MEANS AND SAID PERIPHERAL FLANGE, AND SECURED BY SAID TAB MEANS. 